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Saturday, 14 December 2013

DIY: Teacup Candles

They're all over Pinterest, but they really do make the cutest gifts or addition to your home and they're SO easy to make! I always have candles burning in my house, and since acquiring a large selection of tea sets this was the perfect craft. I've kind of merged together various tutorials here, as I read lots of them, turned my laptop off and absolutely winged it. I'd say before allowing time to set, these candles took around ten minutes to make. Minimal effort with maximum results is my favourite type of craft!

All you need is:

Soy wax flakes

Candle wicks with metal tabs

Glue dots

Scented oil (if you want scented candles)

A double boiler (or make your own, like I did)

A skewer, or something similar to hold your wick in place

Plastic spoon

Teacups

Scissors

Step one
To begin, you want to stick your wick into your teacup. I used 10cm long wicks purchased from eBay with a metal tab, as this makes the whole process easier. You can pick these up for a couple of pound for a set of twenty. Place a glue dot on the bottom of the metal tab and stick the wick into the centre of the teacup.

Step Two
Now you want to secure your wick so that it stays centred when you pour in the wax. You can buy centring tools, use tooth picks, or clothes pegs, whatever works for you. I used two kitchen skewers which I secured to the wax with glue dots as in the above picture. This worked well and the wick didn't move at all.

Step Three
To melt the wax, it's essential to do so in a double boiler as wax is flammable if it reaches a certain temperature. I don't own a double boiler, so I made my own by filling a large saucepan with water, and placing a smaller saucepan into this, allowing the water to come around halfway up the small pan. Think of it like melting chocolate! Pour your wax flakes into the small pan, and heat gently until melted. Don't simmer or boil, and don't leave the wax unattended.

Step Four
If you're scenting your candles, remove the wax from the heat and allow to cool before adding the oil. If you add oil while the wax is still hot it will set, so wait until it has started to cloud just a little and pour in a generous amount. Using candle fragrance rather than standard essential oils will give a better scent! Stir until fully incorporated into the wax.

Step Five
Pour the wax into your teacups, leaving around 1-2cm space at the top and leave to set for a couple of hours. Trim the wick if it's too long with a pair of scissors, light, and enjoy!

We have lots of teacups scattered around the living room, and I know that turning them into candles is going to be the perfect finishing touch. I made these ones as a gift to put into a baby's room, so they're unscented, which means I've still to experiment with finding my favourite scent. What's yours?